In 2018, Islander Sake Brewery was founded in Hawaii. The brewery relocated from Kaka'ako, Ohauhau to its current location at 62-100 Kaunaʻoa Dr, Waimea in Hawaii Island in 2022, in search of a location with an abundance of high-quality natural water.
When researching Islander Sake Brewery, I learned about the history of Japanese immigration to Hawaii and sake brewing in Hawaii. The first Japanese immigrants came to Hawaii more than 150 years ago. The Japanese cultivated sugarcane fields and developed a sugar industry. More than a century ago, sake brewing began in Hawaii. At its peak, sake brewing was so prosperous that there were about 10 brewing companies in Hawaii. After the war, there was only one remaining brewing company, the Honolulu Salmon and Ice Company, but it closed down in 1986.
Thirty-three years later, sake production in Hawaii has resumed, and Islander Sake Brewery is now brewing craft sake using advanced brewing techniques. In Honolulu, the brewery has a dining place, "Hanale", where you can enjoy sake with your meal.
Due to some business reasons, I stayed in Honolulu for five days from my departure from Narita on February 22 to my return on February 27. On a free day before I left Honolulu, I decided to look for Islander Sake Brewery's sake. Unfortunately, Hanale was closed, but I visited a Japanese sake store, "The Sake Shop," where I found a wide selection of Islander Sake Brewery's sake.
The sake I chose for this tasting was California Calrose, Junmai Gonjyo, Raw Sake. California Calrose rice is a japonica type rice, characterized by its long and large size compared to the short-grain variety of Japanese rice. The name "Calrose" means California rose.
It was the first time for me to taste sake brewed with California rice, and I savored this unpasteurized sake, which is not available in Japan, thinking back to the creativity and pioneering spirits of when sake brewing first began in Hawaii.
California Calrose, Junmai Ginjyo, Raw Sake
It has a light pale greenish yellow in appearance.
The aroma is slightly pineapple, lychee, and cheesecake-like.
The taste has the same light pineapple, lychee, and cheesecake-like sweetness and a soft acidity that is well-balanced with the sharp attack for a raw sake. It has also the impression of freshness and a good, vibrant taste. It has also the impression of freshness and a good, vibrant taste. Aftertaste is not long lasting.